2024 DCC Award Winner
Myers Memorial Columbarium Garden, Carolina Bomanite, Charlotte, NC
First Place: Cast-in-Place Special Finishes, Under 5,000 SF

Spring of 2019, Carolina Bomanite was asked to pursue a design for a columbarium at a Methodist church in Gastonia, NC. Months went by in order to determine a location and style of columbarium that would enhance the church. Due to COVID, an online zoning variance was needed in order to locate the columbarium on a 3000 SF patch of church property. After fundraising and a final design by Landscape Architect Ron Cutlip, construction started in February 2023.

Donations came slowly as the church wished to build without debt. The custom-built niches took more than 6 months to build. In the meantime, cast-in-place walls, footers, drainage and more than 200 tons of stone infill continued in the compact space. The walls were covered in Tennessee stone veneers. The pergola footers were designed to be part of the paving band design. This isolated potential cracking and worked as intended.

Constructing a columbarium required building for a 100+ year life cycle. Every product and function was over-designed and installed per this criteria. Composite rebar was used as much as possible due to no corrosion. The flatwork is an exposed, custom finish with white sparkle. The paving provides a comfortable walking surface that will require very little maintenance. The black banding was poured using an integral color with black sparkle and later sealed for enhancement. The Company's jointing technique (hidden expansion) using slip dowels, precision saw cutting and sealant are key to a lasting project. A custom pre-sloped channel drain was installed around the center landscape bed. Custom precast panels surround the niches. The fencing and gates are handmade of steel and powder coated. The cross, backlit with LED lights, was forged from copper, stainless, bronze, and corten steel. A slate textured sidewalk leads up to a gated entry unveiling a place of solace.